Jan. 30th, 2014 | 05:32 am

As we get well into the twenty-first century, I catch myselfthinking back to the condition of American political, legal andsocial structures of one-hundred years ago. I hardly need topoint out just how far we've come during the last century. Ithink about Pete Seeger, and about the nearly ten decades hespent on this earth. He very well could have talked with suchworthies as Upton Sinclair and other turn-of-the-previous-century"muck rakers" as Theodore Roosevelt named those advocates forprogressive change.

Back in nineteen-thirteen, women had yet to earn the right tovote. I would hate to have been a racial minority during thattime. I would hate to imagine what the work force would be likewithout unions and other progressive entities who insure therights of the american wage earner. All too well less than acentury ago, gays, if they knew what was good for them, knew tostay in the closet, because it could easily mean the differencebetween life and a nasty death.

All in all, the America of one-hundred years ago, if one knowsthe history of that era even slightly, was a decidedly scaryplace to be. Our nation back then, if you really stop and thinkabout it, was a corporate fascist state. All of the progressivechange for which Seeger and so many others have striven, came atthe cost of a lot of work,time and suffering. None of it cameeasy, not even the franchise of women.

Jan. 30th, 2014 | 05:28 am

The Music of Pete Seeger and others so strongly resonates with meas I look back on the first thirteen years of this century. Iremember back during the late winter of two-thousand and two,when I realized that Bush was going to start a war with Iraq,irespective of the fact that we were already at war withAfghanistan. I recall feeling so deeply disgusted and downrightcontemptuous of our erstwhile president, because he decided tototally disregard all of the incoming relevant data and go to warwhen it could have been avoided.

I so clearly think back then, how badly we needed a younger PeteSeger, because we were all but rutterless, and we hadn't thebackbone to stand up to the GOP and resist their all too lethalfolly.

But where are we going from here? We're beyond the Bush era, andyet the GOP is still alive and well, ah yes, and just as toxicand pervasive as it ever was. Where are we going indeed? And whowill guide us there?

Jan. 25th, 2012 | 02:56 pm

I wish to write a few exploratory essays for the purpose ofdelving into and analyzing certain socio-cultural phenomena thatI believe are inhibiting our advancement toward a trulyenlightened, egalitarian and progressive society. After seriousconsideration, I decided to begin with an exploration of religionand sexuality. In doing so, I may come off as being a bitFreudian, but I concur with many of his insights. Then too, as Iwill try to demonstrate, sexuality and religion happen to be twohighly influential factors in human motivation.

The rise and spread of secularism in the westnotwithstanding, there are still a disturbing set of undeniablesimilarities between western and Moslem religion, societal normsand attitudes where women are concerned. These similarities areall too readily apparent in the ideologies, politics, mores, lawsand behavior that so strongly characterize conservative Americansociety. Even though progressivism is slowly making inroads intothe legal, political, economic and societal milieus of America,the fundamentalist theocratic factions are still a highlyformidable force to reckon with.

Taking a brief look at sexuality in the near east andwestern cultures respectively, will provide at least a glimpseinto the attitudes, practices and beliefs that near eastern andmany western men have in common. It should also highlight somecrucial differences and hopefully accentuate just how, and theextent to which, secularism can serve as sort of a moral andsocial panacea for the darker aspects of human nature that areevidenced through sexual norms and mores.

In ancient Hebrew culture, women who were raped weresummarily stoned to death, because rape was viewed as a form ofadultery. This was the law, and women faced extreme physicalpunishment or even execution for committing a disturbingly longlist of offenses, inadvertently or otherwise. In the instance ofrape, the political and legal authorities reasoned that the womanmust have done something to provoke her rapist. Since she hadcaused a man to behave wrongly, she was the party at fault, andthe man was blameless. Then too, since she had experienced carnalintercourse with someone other than her husband, she was thenconsidered to be damaged goods. This was also her fault ofcourse. So the ancient Hebrews felt quite justified in puttingher to death.

It was and still is a man's world in far too many places onthis planet. The cement that holds together and reinforces thismisogynistic hegemony is the establishment of theocraticgovernance and law. I tend to think that the ancient Hebrews werethe first to develop a rigid theocracy for the purpose ofenforcing absolutist patriarchal rule.

Their is a myth in the Hebrew, Moslem and Christianscriptures that describes how their archetypical embodiment ofevil approached the first woman for the purpose of setting intomotion no end of mischief. This entity, Satan by name, approachedthe woman, because she was both weaker and more predisposed tohis machinations. The man of course would have resisted him moststoutly indeed, and probably administered a sound beating intothe bargain. So the first woman became guilty of original sin,and she then compounded her iniquity by causing the first man tojoin her in disobeying their god.

All three of these cultures are highly patriarchal innature, and they predicate their misogyny upon this particularmyth. Consequently the man is the ruler of the home, community,church and government. In christian and Jewish culture, thiscondemnatory, harsh and abusive cultural predisposition has beenameliorated significantly by the intellectual wave of secularthought that swept throughout western culture beginning with theRenaissance and continuing into the present. The same however, isfar from true in Moslem culture. Moslem women are still relegatedto the status of mere chattel.

The sex trade, especially in the Moslem world, provides botha disturbing yet enlightening topic for consideration. Forinstance, according to Pakistani law, if a girl is kidnapped andforced into a life of prostitution, that girl becomes the legalspouse of the man who purchased her. Moreover, that man has thelegal right to treat her virtually as he wishes.

However, what about the aforementioned religious, social,moral and yes, sexual commonalities that exist between arab andeuropean/ american cultures? In Europe, there is a rather widedisparity between how women are viewed and hence treated. In somecountries, just as in America, the hegemonic or patriarchal moresfacilitate a disturbing negative determining set of factors. Insome European countries, such as France and especially Holland,women are guaranteed a superabundance of rights and/or protectionunder the law whether they are courtesans or work in thePornographic industry.

This genre of entertainment addresses a truly huge span ofdiverse interests, some of which aught not to be prohibited.However, a very substantial segment of pornography is indeedharmful and exploitative, to women especially. Moreover, somevarieties of Porn, such as snuff films and other forms of humanviolence are clearly objectionable and are not legal in the moreadvanced societies.

When considering similarities between moslem and manyAmerican men, one might want to consider Pornography's darkerside where depictions of women experiencing varying degrees ofpain and/or humiliation are served up to millions of men. Onemight ask, what does this say about any man who enjoys suchdepictions? Moreover, what might the partner have to expect froma man with such interests?

From a sociological prospective, the different types of themore violent and otherwise abusive forms of pornography serve tolower the status of women to that of chattel, and otherwisefacilitate any number of misogynistic objectives. One could writevolumes upon the manner and extent to which pornography canpromote and even strengthen male hegemony. Herein lyes the chiefset of legitimate objections to this particular industry.

It would not seem reasonable to outlaw Pornography ingeneral, but extensive regulation might very well be in order.Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, perchance thepsychological community might consider the efficacy of exploringthe roots of pornography and its popularity, especially theaforementioned darker sorts.

What this issue ultimately boils down to, is which culturalmodel we choose to adopt. We can stick with our misogynistic/patriarchal approach, or we can look to the more enlightenedsocieties for exemplary guidance. In other words, we have one oftwo choices. First, we can allow a significant faction of ourculture to cling to the primitive and brutal predispositionswhich are ultimately the product of dogmatic religiosity andhumankind's darker nature. Alternatively, we can embrace theenlightenment engendered by the duel forces of Secularism andProgressivism.

Jan. 22nd, 2012 | 12:34 pm

Well, newt Gingrich actually pulled off what I consideredthe upset by taking South Carolina from Mit Romny. However, Ireally don't think that this actually portends anything all thatremarkable. Gingrich took his campaign into the gutter andchiefly relied upon veiled calumnies directed at Romny, thePresident and the media as a means of tapping into and hencecapitalizing on the rabid and dogmatic conservatism that is soinherent in the South Carolinian culture.

Will he be able to do this in my home state of Florida? Itend to think not. I am predicting that Romny will carry Floridaand most of the other states as well. No, the conservatives, theTea Party in particular, won't care over-much for the moremoderate Romny. I tend to think that Gingrich is more compatiblewith the Tea Party's politics, beliefs and goals, but he isn'tnearly so electable as Romny.

Quite frankly, I tend to be diametrically apposed to allfour of the current candidates. I abhor their stance on gaymarriage, because it is an instance of bigotry that is theproduct of fundamentalist reasoning. Both Gingrich and Romny areunequivocally apposed to convicted felons having the right tovote. What ever happened to the Christian notion of forgiveness?In the New Testament of Christian scripture, Jesus is reported tohave expounded upon how following repentance, one's sins werethrown away "as far as the east is from the west", if memoryserves. What ever happened to the exhortation to "go and sin nomore?"

Moreover, the republican candidates unapologetically clingto an economic and political model that promotes a decidedlyunacceptable mode of stratification that is slanted in the favorof a wealthy few and hence to the detriment of everyone else.Romny admonishes we the people to not get caught up in thepolitics of jealousy and just accept that some will be wealthywhilst most others will not. This is rather a smooth ploy todirect thoughts and feelings away from the manner in which andthe extent to which the middle and lower classes are routinelyexploited by Romny and his kind. Should Romny win the Republicannomination and then, gods forbid, the presidential election,America will become a nation not fit to live in. I for one do notwish to live in a corporate fascist state.

This could very well be a highly pivotal year for the causeof Progressivism. The republicans have had a year in which toshow their true agenda, and they still have another nine and ahalf months before the American people will have the opportunityto oust them from office. If the national electorate doesn't yetcomprehend the threat to our civil liberties and our very well-being that the GOP constitutes, it never will. I believe that weas a nation will go in one of two directions, either further intoreactionary and dogmatic fundamentalism, or down the path ofProgressivism. This is why I believe that the year two-thousandand twelve could turn out to be one of the most importantintervals in American history.

Jan. 21st, 2012 | 01:21 pm

Well people, this most tumultuous year of our lord 2011 haswound down to a close. The specter of 2012 is upon us, and boydoes it look to be a highly interesting year indeed, perhaps oneof the most eventful in American history. I haven't posted muchfor over a year now, primarily because I had become jaded withthe political, economic and social spectrums. I suppose theelections of 2010 constituted the very last straw for me. Afterthe American electorate so royally screwed itself by kowtowing tothe Tea Party faction, I just threw up my hands and sort ofencapsulated myself on our small farm and watched from thesidelines. Several questions come to mind as I sit writing thismissive.

#1. Have the American people learned from their folly? Inother words, do they now see the Republicans as they truly are?Do they recognize and/or have a better understanding of theRepublican agenda? If so, then the elections of 2012 have thepotential to become extremely pivotal in our history. We willeither maintain our present and not very healthy course, or wewill turn our proverbial prow in a new and more positivedirection.

There are many who do not believe that President Obama hasdone all that was in his power to bring about reform on multiplelevels. They very well could be right, but I tend to think thatour President didn't quite realize the magnitude and scope of thecorruption that is so pandemic in Washington. Then too, there isa misguided and potentially pernicious propensity on the part ofthe American constituency to blame the president for the problemswe routinely experience as Americans. They have hitherto failedto understand the roll played by Congress and the Senate, andthis doesn't even begin to address the harm caused by wealthy andpowerful special interest groups.

#2. Are the American people finally aware of the need forsweeping change? To what extent will the "ninety-nine Percent"movement impact our economic and political milieus? I've not seenvery much in the way of support on the part of our democraticpoliticians, Obama in particular. I expected our President andthe democratic party to embrace this movement, at the very leastas a means of countering the Tea Party movement. Perhaps thiswill change during the upcoming year, but I tend to have mydoubts on that score.

I strongly believe that an uninformed electorate makes for adamned ineffectual one to say the least. Knowledge is power, andthe lack thereof is perforce weakness. Unless America wakes upand begins to realize what is really going on inWashington, this nation's days of greatness are numbered.

#3. Finally, is our system too corrupt for reform to takehold? Have we already sealed our fait by allowing specialinterest groups to turn our representative democracy into acorporate fascist state? If such be the case, and it very wellcould be, then it ultimately doesn't matter how the upcomingelections turn out. All we can do at present is watch events anddo all in our power to support progressivism and importune thegods for the best outcome.

After all, suppose Obama is reelected, but a strongcontingency of Republicans is also voted back into office. Shouldsuch turn out to be the case, then we will only stay our presentcourse, and remain just as fucked as we are at the moment. Thereis no way to reliably predict the direction in which votes willtend. On the one hand, we certainly do have progressive voters,but on the other hand, and this is what bothers me the most, wehave conservative ultra religious voters who are willing toembrace the corrupt policies of the Republicans, or at leastoverlook their corruption.

We are in a power struggle between the dogmatic andreactionary right wing and the progressivist left wing factions.The cause of Progressivism seemed to be well on its way tofruition, until the Democrats lost their filibuster-proofmajority when a Republican won Senator Kennedy's seat inMassachusetts. Republican obstructionism was then all toopossible, and the GOP then proceeded to sabotage the Obamaadministration at every possible opportunity. The elections of2010 paved the way for an outright avalanche of Republicanskulduggery and chicanery that has proven to be highlydeleterious to the over-all cause of Progressivism. We willeither reverse this trend in 2012, or corporate fascism willbecome our mode of governance.

Apr. 29th, 2009 | 08:55 pm

As President Obama's first one-hundred days in office come toan end, and we look with both hope and trepidation at the threeyears and eight or-so months which lie before us, I myself have afew questions for the conservative minded members of this nation.There has been of late a good deal of defense and/or justificationfor the Republican's position and state of being at the moment.First of all, I here the Republicans incessantly calumniatingObama's actions to-date, describing them as potentially disastrous,irresponsible, reckless and even insane.

Now lets take an objective look at the facts. We enjoyed anice economic surplus when Clinton left office. Eight years laterhowever, we are in a fairly deep recession, assuming the punditsand economic indicators are to be believed. In short, Obamainherited a comedy of errors at which no one is laughing.Nevertheless, in the eyes of the Republicans, Obama is damned if hedoes and damned if he doesn't. In a word, any and everything hedoes is going to arouse the criticism and outrage of theconservatives. Such, to my notion at least, is the nature ofpolitically-based polarization. Admittedly, many of the president'spolicies and actions are radical in nature and smack ofdesperation. To my way of thinking however, drastic situationsoften require drastic measures in order to solve them.

In order to keep the vast majority of our financialinstitutions from going into insolvency, massive expenditures areunfortunately necessary. In order to lower the unemployment rate,again, large spending programs are unavoidable. Conservatives canblast Obama's style of administration, and yet they have yet tooffer up any counter suggestions and/or alternative programs thathave the potential of serving as palliative measures for thepolitical and economic quagmire that has been created during thepast eight years.

This notwithstanding though, it seems as though the over-allnational zeitgeist is changing, and it is doing so in rather anemphatic fashion. To wit, the republicans have lost the majority oftheir political clout, and they seem to be spinning theircollective wheels in the sand. Moreover, if the polls are to bebelieved, Obama is enjoying a huge popularity rating at the moment.The majority of Americans feel that the country is finally movingin the right direction.

In all honesty, we aught to ask ourselves why this is thecase, I.E. what fundamental events have so radically altered theAmerican zeitgeist to the point where the country seems fed up withconservatism. All GOP apologist rhetoric and defensive logic aside,several inescapable and incontrovertible facts yet remain tobedevil right wing thinkers. To wit, the Bush administration didnot handle the economy in a responsible fashion.

Consequently, we are facing serious economic problems thatwill, as aforesaid, require formidable and even scary measures inorder to stabilize our economy. The current war in Iraq ispredicated upon principles and/or justifications that, regardlessof arguments to the contrary, have been refuted/ debunked. As I seeit, the American population needs to come together as Americans andnot Republicans and/or Democrats. This condition of polarizationhas got to be ameliorated or hopefully even eradicated if we areever going to work together for the good of America and not forthat of political parties and/or certain chosen groups.

Apr. 17th, 2009 | 06:21 am

Greetings,

I suppose, thanks to the modern media, I now have theattention span of a three-year-old. As I am sitting here readingthe news, my head is filled with lots of highly appurtenantthoughts. However, my mind has this really annoying way of turninginto a sort of kaleidoscope and rapidly cycling on to anotherentirely different batch of thoughts and impressions that supersedeand ultimately override those perfectly valid and relevant originalcognitive processes. This is in large-part why I don't blog allthat much any more. I all but unconsciously digest and excrete anever-growing pile of facts, thoughts and beliefs pertaining to theeconomic, political, social, historical and other milieus that Itry to explore on nearly a daily basis.

Take for instance this tea party business initiated by theconservatives. Now I haven't the slightest problem with theirexpressing their views and feelings regarding how the currentadministration is trying to run this country. They, like everyoneelse, have a perfect right to make their voices heard and theirfeelings known. The gods know that those of us who are moreliberally inclined expressed our share of vitriol, concern anddisappointment during the eight painful years of the previousadministration. In short, we were pissed off, and we had a lot tosay about it.

During this symbolic gathering, participants chanted suchslogans as "Obama lied, and Capitalism died." They of course had somuch more unpleasant things to say about our president and hisadministration, and it quite frankly disturbs me. We were angry,Because Bush sent us to war with Iraq without any real provocation.In fact the justifications upon which this war is predicated werethoroughly debunked long before the younger Bush even left office.This has a lot to do with why his popularity ratings were so lowduring the last two years of his final term. Moreover, we keptreading about how his cabinet was so fraught with corruption andresignations. We were both disturbed and angered at the Patriot Actand all of the warrantless wire-tapping. We were furious when Bushpractically practiced Nepotism, as he seemingly adopted all of therich individuals and large corporations, upon whom he thenproceeded to shower all manner of tax breaks and otherwise accordthem preferential status. Of course we were upset, but we haddamned good reason to be.

However, as all of the outrages that upset we liberals soprofoundly were unfolding, we never heard a negative peep out ofthe Republicans. Nothing Bush the younger did seemed to arouse theire of his constituents. So long as all of the Bush affronts to ourcivil liberties and a misbegotten war were the machinations of aRepublican President, the conservative electorate was not undulydiscomfited. However, when ever Obama tries to clean up a mess thatwasn't even of his making, all bloody Hell breaks loose on theRight Wing front. Nothing that the new President attempts is evenremotely acceptable in Republican eyes. Each and everything Obamadoes, irrespective of the hopefully positive results, will onlyarouse the indignation and protests of conservative thinkers.

Sure the ever expanding budget is of grave concern, but so arethe multifarious issues that made Obama's spending increasesnecessary in the first place. Seeing as how we are in such economicand political distress, something of a radicle nature is needed inorder to hopefully set things to rights once more. If theseconservatives are so concerned about the state of our economy, whyare they only now raising such an outcry? Why have they heretoforefailed to become concerned and distraught? I don't like theprobable exponential increase of our national deficit anymore thananyone else.

However, what else can we do? During the presidentialcampaigns, McCain only offered pretty much a continuation of thesame policies that were pursued by his would-be predecessor. It wasObama who had a new game plan, and America rightly believed that analternative plan was very much a desirable thing. Despite the factthat conservative thinkers have yet to come up with a viable planof their own, they nevertheless have a superabundance ofdisparaging commentary to offer up when it comes to the efforts ofthe current administration. They certainly didn't seem to have anyideas and/or suggestions during the past eight years. For thatmatter, they seemed perfectly happy with the then status quo.

Oct. 12th, 2008 | 04:03 am

Greetings,

I find it both significant and fascinating to learn that Obamaenjoys a thirteen point lead over McCain among americans who havecompleted either college or graduate school. Of equal importancehowever, is the fact that Obama trails McCain to the tune of twelvepoints among americans who either boast a high school education orless. I'll bet I am starting to sound like an elitist; sorry. Butyou know, this is truly a telling phenomenon, because it says somuch about the american electorate.

Prejudice, like most other things, is hard-wired into acertain section of our brains. According to anthropologists,sociologists and evolutionary psychologists, the various cognitiveand emotional nuances of bigotry are chiefly derivative of defensemechanisms upon which we were highly dependent for survival farback in our more primitive antiquity. Likewise, thosepredispositions that determine whether we are republican ordemocrat, conservative or liberal, also evolved from these sameatavistic imperatives. Lastly, our instinctual flocking with thosewho are predisposed similarly to ourselves is chiefly a byproductof these innate survival motivated factors.

However, if this premise is even moderately accurate, how doesit reconcile its self with the issue of nature verses nurture? Arewe to conclude that those among us who are less educated tend to bemore primitive in their cognitive processes? This tentativespeculation could hypothetically provide the basis for the natureaspect of this cautiously evolving model. Likewise, education,especially that of a more extensive nature, seems to mitigate or inmany cases even eradicate the primitive predispositions underconsideration. Education then, seems to provide the nurturecomponent of our little theory.

Such being the case, for the sake of discussion at least,perhaps it could explain how it is that we have come so far alongthe road of social evolution during the passed forty-five or soyears. All throughout the twentieth century, racial bigotry andpolitical conservatism were rife in our society. However, duringthe sixth decade of the passed century, we seem to have hit asignificant intellectual growth spurt, the results of which arequite apparent in our society today. It is starting to really lookas though the majority of Americans will finally be able to bringthemselves to elect a black president of all things, one with sucha foreign name as Barack Hussein Obama yet. What with all of theafrican and moslem aspects of his name, not to mention his skincolor, I would have never given Obama even the ghost of a chanceback in early February of this year.

However, we still have Republicans who feel no anger towardour current president, and who will willingly vote for McCain,despite the economic conflagrations that have been visited uponthis entire nation during the last eight years. There are Americanswho still insist that the conflict in Iraq is a necessary componentof the "War Against Terrorism." I just can't help but wonder whatarea of the brain causes many otherwise intelligent people toreason in such a self delusional fashion. How is it that people en-mass can so completely abrogate wisdom to the point where simplereality ends up in a condition of such unadulterated obfuscation?Until this question can be thoroughly resolved, humanity I believewill continue to experience a great deal of uncertainty, insecurityand oftentimes, chaos.

Bright Blessings,RiverWind

"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for those whom wedespise, we don't believe in it at all." Noam Chomsky

Jun. 4th, 2008 | 02:19 pm

A Victory for We the People

I tend not to view the end of the primary campaigning seasonas necessarily a loss for Hillary Clinton, nor do I truly see it asa victory for Obama. I do however, view the matter in terms of avictory for the American people. We have for the very first time inour entire history as a nation, watched a seesaw electorial contestunfold between a woman and an Afro-American.

We saw the Democratic party deeply divided, and in large-part,this division was along racial and gender lines. I have readseveral accounts of virulent racist and sexist sentiments beingexpressed by members of different state constituencies. There aremany Americans who absolutely will not vote for a candidate,irrespective of how competent and/or eminently qualified they mighthappen to be, soli because of their race or gender. Oh yes, bigotryis yet alive and thriving in our society. However, I can't help butview the impending nomination of Obama as a sign that racism atleast is on the wane.

This time last year, I would not have been able to conceive ofObama's viability as a candidate, either on the primary or thegeneral levels. I took it for granted that the presidential contestwould perforce be waged between Clinton and McCain; any alternativescenario would have seemed not only implausible, but downrightimpossible. Even during this most astonishing of primary campaigns,I right up until the very last possible moment, expected Clinton topull off the nomination, Obama's impressive numbersnotwithstanding. Ever since early February when he performed sowell on Super Tuesday, I have been a staunch supporter of Obama,not for misogynistic reasons, but because I honestly and perhapsnaively believe that he represents profound change, a commodity inwhich this nation of our's stands in great need at the moment.

The past eight years have taken so much out of this nation,and I truly believe that America is possibly sicker than she hasever been. Our government has reached lower depths of corruptionand incompetence than ever before, in my opinion. We as a peopleneed to witness a radicle restructuring of our government, and thisshakeup needs to occur on all levels. We need to get our economyback on track, end the Iraq war and reestablish our standing in theinternational community. Can one administration accomplish theseformidable tasks? If the "Democratic party comes together in aconcerted effort to set things right, the issues of which I speakcan indeed be remedied. However, the Republicans also need to rallyto the cause of change, and the restoration of our country's well-being.

During Bush's two terms of office, we have learned just howcorrupt and incompetent our elected officials can actually be.Former members of the Bush cabinet have lately been crawling out ofthe woodwork to publish their personal accounts of the extent towhich the Washington establishment has broken down and failed notonly its self, but we the people as well. Some of these accountsare downright incredible, not to mention dismaying. I have foryears taken it for granted that our government was unscrupulous inmany ways, but I never realized just how debased it had actuallybecome.

If we are going to pull ourselves out of this quagmire ofmoral, economic and political dissipation, the effort to do so mustbe widespread, sincere and concerted. Our multifaceteddeterioration is so much like a cancer that has metastasized to apotentially lethal extent. In order for this nation to find andthen implement a cure for what ails it, those whom we send toWashington first need to acknowledge that the problem even exists,because solutions are not possible if our officials remain in astate of denial.